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Kingfisher Fish and Chips in Plympton, Plymouth has been crowned the best fish and chip shop in the UK after frying out on top at the 2017 National Fish & Chip Awards, organised by Seafish.
They were followed closely by Burton Road in second place and Millers coming in a strong third.
The shop scooped the ultimate title – Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year – at the awards ceremony held at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel in London – an event described as the ‘Oscars’ of the fish frying industry.
To secure the top spot, Kingfisher Fish and Chips had to progress through a rigorous, multi-stage judging process over a seven month period; encompassing several mystery shopping assessments and in-depth audits by industry experts, reviewing everything from responsible sourcing policies to menu diversification – and of course, customer service levels and the quality of fish and chips being served.
The final stage of judging, held the day before the awards ceremony (25 January), put the shop’s presentation skills to the test as they faced a 14-strong specialist industry judging panel – ‘battering’ it out against the nine other regional* finalists in a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style pitch.
Commenting on their award win after receiving the famous trophy from awards host, Nigel Barden, voice of food and drink on BBC Radio 2, shop owners Nikki Mutton and Craig Maw said: “We are absolutely elated! We’ve entered this award three times now, coming second last year, so to go all the way is amazing – I guess three really is a charm.
“We’ve only owned the shop for four years and have already achieved some amazing things; we have the world’s most sustainable seafood menu, are one of only two fish and chip businesses in the UK to have a 3 star rating from the Sustainable Restaurant Association, along with over 25 industry and non-industry awards, but I have to admit that winning this award is the pinnacle of our careers.
“We’ve worked hard to take sustainability to the next level and this is at the core of our business. We’re proud to offer over 12 Marine Stewardship Council certified fish species, but we’ve not stopped there; we even use QR codes to let customers trace the journey of their fish, from sea to place.
“It feels like everything we’ve worked for has come to fruition now. We’re more than ready to take the crown, and look forward to championing our industry and the nation’s favourite takeaway.”
Chippy Chat Editor Austen Dack said
“Wow what an incredible show for the industry this week. So many passionate people in one room. Kingfisher (Craig and Nikki) are very worthy winners, we have been following their progression closely and now the have got what they deserved. It was tight too for second and third with Lesley and Des so close to snatching the top spot, and David Miller from MIllers taking a superb third. Having been to Norway with this top 10 group, I was honoured to spend a few days with them all and they all had a claim to the coveted top spot.
Now in their 29th year, The National Fish & Chip Awards are recognised as one of the most prominent and respected seafood industry events in the UK. They celebrate the British tradition of fish and chips, showcasing the best talent, quality and choice offered by fish and chip businesses through 14 different award categories.
The Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award is one of the highest industry honours to receive as a fish and chip business and previous winners have gone on to great success, reporting sales increases of up to 100%.
For more information visit www.fishandchipawards.com or follow @FishnChipAwards #FishnChipAwards.
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